CO129-258 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1893 [1-4] — Page 464

1

local consumption of opium,

but also in an indefinite

increase of smuggling from

the

Colony

into China, and

a breach of treaty obligations

on the part of Great Britain towards the Chinese Empire.

12.

I have stated that

the abolition of the farm

would cause a serious and

immediate falling off in

the revenue

derived

from

opium, and would almost

certainly be followed after a

short

The

463

short interval by the total extinction of that

My

are as

reasons.

revenue.

for this opinion

follows. In paragraph 16 I have explained the

circumstances which must

preclude under a bonded warehouse system the levy,

of a high rate of duty

on removals

from

the warehouse,

To what is there mentioned I would add that no matter what rate of duty

were

fixed,

a very large proportion of the

opium